Orange is the New Green!

13/07/2018

Sustainability is important to Wolter Consulting Group and we believe the culmination of small changes in our everyday will elicit positive environmental outcomes. That is why July marks the launch of WCG’s Sustainability Program: ‘Orange is the New Green!’.

Our internal Sustainability program will be implemented over the following 12 months and endeavours to increase WCG’s sustainability via reducing our office electricity, water and waste.

Helping us achieve this goal and measure progress is The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Queensland (CCIQ). WCG has collaborated and sought guidance from CCIQ to enrich the success of ‘Orange is the New Green!’.

Why are we doing this?

We believe that our environment is worth celebrating! It houses 7.5 billion people, natural wonders and diverse habitats. However, our world is under immense pressure to provide resources for a rapidly growing population. That’s tough mudder in our opinion and is what drives us to be part of the solution!

One component of our Sustainability program is waste. However, we’re not the only ones addressing the issue. One such event promoting sustainability is World Environment Day. Hosted in India this year, the International theme was “Moving Towards a Plastic-Free Future”. The event highlighted plastic as a major environmental problem owing to the high volume our population utilises and once discarded, plastic’s inability to fully break down in the environment. The issue is becoming so toxic that it is beginning to make its way into our food chain. That’s right, the food you eat could have microplastics in it!

While it may not appear like a major problem here in Australia, an insightful experience of our own Environmental Assistant, Sophia Saint-Forrester, brings some clarity:

“We live in a country that provides communal waste removal services. The ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach reduces our ability to witness the cumulative impact we have on our environment,” says Sophia.

“When I worked on a sustainable development issue in Indonesia, I was continuously faced with waste. Litter lined the streets, while rivers and streams were clogged with plastic. The systems we have created in Australia have desensitised and reduced our understanding of how much our single-use items are impacting the environment.”

So, what exactly can we do?

Being conscientious of our activities and looking to environmentally friendly alternatives is key. Bamboo toothbrushes, stainless-steel straws and natural beauty products are just the tip of the sustainability iceberg.

At WCG, we aspire to reduce all types of waste generated by our office operations. For example, we will measure and aim to reduce our printing in the office, promote the use of reusable coffee cups, recycle batteries, and offer our staff with information tools to help them collaborate on our waste reduction goal.

As mentioned, waste is just one component of WCG’s Sustainability Program. We will also be targeting electricity and water usage. Throughout the Program, we will be providing our staff with tips on how they can contribute to making our office and their behaviours more sustainable. We hope that as a team, we will develop new habits that will transcend from our office into our homes.